Large Numbers Waiting on a Bed at Region’s Hospitals

The latest figures released by the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation show that there was 27 patients waiting on a bed at University Hospital Waterford. 23 of this number were on a trolley while 4 were in a ward waiting on a bed.

Nationally the figures released show that 612 patients were admitted to hospitals and waiting in trolleys.

The number of patients waiting for beds on Tuesday January 3 is a record number nationally for a given day, and were announced on the same day that it was confirmed that 93,621 people were admitted to hospital on a trolley during 2016, a number that is a record high for any calendar year.

In March 2006, 495 patients were waiting on trolleys after they were admitted to hospital nationally. The situation at the time was declared a National Emergency.

Elsewhere in the region, Numbers at individual hospitals waiting on beds were also high.

At Cork University Hospital 33 patients were waiting on trolleys, seven more than were waiting at the nearby Mercy University Hospital Cork.

At South Tipperary General Hospital the numbers waiting for beds were 31, while the number at St. Luke’s Hospital in Kilkenny the number was 41. At Wexford General Hospital the number waiting for a number was 18.